Friday, December 7, 2012

Lessons for the Rest of the Arab Autocratic Dynasties in the Gulf

CDHR’s Commentary:The
ruling Al-Sabah Family of Kuwait is known as the least oppressive of the Gulf rulers.
The family has also been throwing monies into people’s pockets, as well as into
social programs, education, the health care system and even generous dowry
stipends for decades. Politically and socially, the rulers of Kuwait are fairly
liberal by the Gulf Arab standards. Obviously, these generous handouts and
lenient ruling methods are not good enough for the Kuwaitis, especially the
social media generation, as recent protestshave
shown.

People want the freedom to
think for themselves and to rule their country in accordance with 21st century’s
values: individual liberty, accountability, transparency and rule of law
instead of family, religion and men’s rule. This is what the Bahraini people are fighting and
dying for and soon the same will erupt in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf
Emirates. Unlike any other Arab country, violent unrest in Saudi Arabia
will cause unimaginable bloodshed even by the Iraqi, Yemeni, Libyan and Syrian
standards. This is due to the violent nature of the Saudi system, partially
instigated by the rulers' claims of ownership over the country as well as
unresolved tribal, religious and regional issues. This scenario can be averted,
but time is running out.

Instead
of focusing on buying sophisticated military
hardwarefor billions of dollars, the Saudi ruling
family should wake up and embark on extensive reforms such as elections of the
Shura Consultative Council and local municipal councils by all Saudis, men and
women, above the age of 18. They should also transform the judicial system by
staffing courts with capable and well-versed people instead of religious
judges.

Ignoring
the inevitable or continuing to buy their way out of
trouble is not going to be enough for the Gulf rulers and what is
happening in in Bahrain and Kuwait is a glaring lesson that should not be
overlooked as people are forced into violence in order to obtain their
legitimate rights.

If
the Saudi rulers continue to manipulate power and public wealth, they will find
themselves in the same position that the rest of the Arab rulers have and still
are facing. This position is exemplified by the recently installed Egyptian
President, Mohammed Morsi, whose palace in Cairo is surrounded by demonstratorschanting
“Erhal”, or “leave” in Arabic.. The Gulf ruling families' allies in the West
should be advising their clients to change the course before they
lose it all.

The opinions expressed in these news articles or the news sources above are not necessarily those of CDHR. CDHR aims to highlight and analyse important events in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

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